By the Evening Stars
by Girlaremo
Summary: Ciprian doesn't know the horrors of what his family does to stay alive. Being so young and unable to comprehend makes for many questions for others. There are others just like them, living within different boundaries and staying inside their groups. The things that go on under the night skies. It begs the question; Who hunts whom by the light of the evening stars?


Names Used:

Alin – Romania

Ciprian – Moldova

Irma – Hungary

Sadiq – Turkey

Ethem – Albania

Konstantin/Konsta – Bulgaria

Myron – Greece

Lysander – Cyprus

Seti – Egypt

* * *

Early morning light filtered down from the open air windows, making way for the beautiful day ahead. Tangled in sheets and warmth, Ciprian sighed and slowly opened his eyes, taking in the world around him. The oil lamp had gone out in the middle of the night, either that or Alin had turned it off. The desk was still there, cluttered with a few old novels and ink quills and small containers of ink. The small mirror was still on the wall, covered with a small bit of fabric to keep the light off of it.

Like usual, he shared a bed with his older brother (Only because he wasn't fond of the idea that he had to sleep alone—what if something came after him and snatched him up?! What would Alin do then without his baby brother?!) and he had left the curtains open. Already, the air was starting to smell a bit like smoke, prompting the younger sibling to get up, close the curtains and then lay back down.

"Thank you." Half awake now, Alin opened one eye and smiled a bit. "Guess I should try and remember to do that each night, hunh?"

Ciprian nodded, pulling a couple thin blankets around himself, not ready to be fully awake. "You and Konstantin both." This made Alin chuckle lightly, now fully awake. He still was a bit sluggish, but that would happen on a warmer day like this. "Are you going out tonight?"

"Mm, I need to, but I don't want to. I'll probably go out with Ethem tonight, then come home while Konsta and Myron go out, and so on..." Alin explained, closing his eyes slowly before sighing heavily again. "...I slept just as long as you did, but I'm still tired...how does that even work?"

"I think you started having nightmares and tired yourself out in your dreams." Ciprian offered, nudging himself closer. This could only make Alin smile, ruffling the smaller one's hair. He could already hear Irma, one of the two ladies of the house (though she didn't act like it) in the kitchen, fumbling around for some tea to wake herself up. He thought he should get up and irritate her a bit, but still, being tired, he didn't want to.

"You're a cute kid. Don't ever change." Alin murmured, kissing the top of his head before he pulled away and looked around the room for clean clothes. The bed was just a mattress on a small frame off the floor, and there was a small chest of drawers full of clothes, both Alin's and Ciprian's.

It was the era of tunics and loose clothing, since the heat was so intense. Living just outside of one of the larger towns in the area, it was a top priority to fit in and look normal. Picking up a pair of pants off the floor and a still fresh-smelling tunic, Alin lazily dressed, picking out clothes for Ciprian while he was at it. "If you don't get up, I'm sending Irma in after you." It was a joke that Irma would pile drive anyone who wouldn't get up with the sun, and to be honest, it was true. When she was young, she thought she was a boy just like the rest of them and would wrestle the younger boys into submission if they wouldn't wake up right away.

"Send Irma in...I'm still tired..." The youth still in bed rolled over, but then ended up sitting up slowly. His hair was all over the place, light brown eyes still full of sleep. Alin just smiled, shaking his head. If only kids could stay like that forever. "...Can I have tea this morning?"

"Sure, but you're having something else with it. I'm not letting you become fat like old man Sadiq. Now go ahead and get dressed."

"Is that the red tunic?"

"...Yes?"

"I'm getting too big for that one. And there's holes in the pits." Ciprian lazily reached forward to grab the article of clothing, holding it up so the other could see what he was talking about. With a heavy sigh, Alin went back to the chest of drawers and pulled out a faded salmon colored shirt that had colorful embroidery around the neck. "...I'll wear that."

"Its one of your nice tunics, though. Do you want to stain it up by playing outside?" Getting a quick shake of the head from Ciprian solved that problem, so the salmon tunic was replaced by an off-white one with minimal embroidery with little bits of red thread. "I like this one anyways."

"That's because it's your hand-me-down, remember? You must be getting old, your memory isn't good anymore. And I can dress myself, you know."

"I know that, but you wouldn't get up, so I thought I'd be nice and get your clothes." Alin shrugged, pulling out a pair of stockings. "Don't forget to put those on. Irma said she'd take you to town today for food, and you do-"

"I don't want to get blisters on my toes, I know..." Taking a moment to pick up some of the clothes to dress, he looked back up at Alin. "You talk a lot in the mornings. Didn't you have to drink coffee before you were awake enough to talk?" Ciprian watched as his brother's smile faded a bit, giving him a bit of a different smile.

"Coffee's not good for you. I thought I'd be better off just drinking tea." He paused, biting his lips. "Now up with you. I'm going to talk to Irma, so you'd better be out soon-"

"I know, I know..." Rubbing his face, Ciprian looked up at Alin, giving a light huff. "I love your big dumb face, brother."

"I love your little dumb face, too." Alin replied, like clockwork. "See you in a bit." Quietly, he left the other to dress, his little smile fading entirely. He thought about how hungry he was and how he could almost hear his brother's heartbeat in his ears. Bits of his vision was tinged in red. Instead of heading to the kitchen like he had said he would, but instead went down the hall to Konstantin's room, knocking lightly before entering. The curtains were pulled and the small bit of light that drifted in made the dark-haired man in bed cringe ever so slightly. "Konsta?"

"...What do you want...?" The other groaned, not bothering to look at the other to get at least an inkling of what he needed.

"I'm so low right now, I don't even know how I'm functioning. I lost warmth overnight, and I'm surprised Ciprian didn't notice. I can hear heartbeats and I..." He trailed off, whining just a little bit to add effect. "I really need a loan before I go for broke and pounce on someone in broad daylight." Alin strode over to the free side of the man's bed. To his surprise, Konstantin's eyes were half open and he was glaring at the other, only making him smile a bit. "Please?"

"...You really need to learn how to get your own meals a bit more...how does Seti explain it..." Konsta dragged his hand down his face, trying to think.

"Effectively. Efficiently."

"Exactly. And I'm not always going to be able to give snacks and hold-me-overs, alright?" Sitting up slowly, he yawned and adjusted the blankets around him, running his hand over his shoulder at tight muscles. "...Just take enough so you can go on the first outing. By the end of today, I have a feeling I'm not going to be too picky."

"I really owe you, Konsta, I really do." He was about to lean in before Konstantin held out a hand, keeping the other from doing so. "Eh?"

"You _do_ owe me. A lot. And you also owe Lysander a bit, and Seti. Be mindful of who you owe, because they can really add up. Next thing you know, you'll be doing the house chores _._ " He lowered his hand and rubbed his neck, furrowing his brows until he found a familiar patch of scar tissue. "Just don't bite down here. I don't know why, but that spot is still sore."

"Noted. And it would help if you relaxed a bit. I just need a little, I'm not trying to drain you dry." Alin murmured, scooting a bit closer.

"And don't hold my hand this time. It's weird." Konsta huffed, tilting his head out of the way for the other. A bit of blood letting didn't hurt now and then, but sometimes, it did. This particular time, Konsta grit his teeth a bit and balled up his fist, staring at the wall. Today, it was unpleasant. It was always the same way with Alin. First bite, linger, let off, drink, and cleanup after. It didn't help that Alin was picky with what he ate, so he started finding less and less that he liked when in town. A short time later, Konsta finally sighed and relaxed. This made Alin hum in amusement, and Konsta could almost feel him smiling against his skin. After that smug little smile and an attempt of Alin trying to open up another wound, Konstantin huffed and tapped the blond's forehead. "Alright, enough, enough. You're going to swell up like a tick if you take any more." The wound was still bleeding, but not for long.

Alin had been a bit sloppy, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You taste so much better when you relax, you know."

"You're so picky. You only go after blonds, don't you?"

"I've expanded to red-heads." Alin nodded, blinking a couple times. The red tinge to his vision was gone, and the world looked a bit clearer.

"...And how many red-heads do you think you're going to find here? It's mostly dark-haired people with tan skin." Konstantin wiped off the blood on his neck, revealing another scarred over spot where he'd have to warn Alin about next time.

"Says the man who occasionally enjoys a pretty blond thing." Alin wiggled his brows, leaning back to smirk at the other before he was completely shoved off the bed. "Hey!"

"...Now I've got to sit for a bit...You made me tired again." The dark-haired man lay back down, prompting Alin to get backup on the bed and sit next to him.

"Sorry about that." Alin hummed, wearing a bit of a half smile. "...Going back to owing people...Have you ever noticed Seti—"

"Seti is so weird, I don't know what he likes, but no matter what it's always...fresh but bitter."

"You mean like herbs and stuff, right?"

" _Exactly._ The last time I was low, it was like I was taking medicine. It really wards you off from borrowing from him." Konsta mused, running a hand through his hair. "Also, don't ever ask Sadiq for any. He tastes and smells like smoke."

"...Why were you-"

"I was young, got in a fight, and I really needed to get something in my stomach." He replied quickly. "Don't ever tell anyone."

There was a low groan that came from the hallway, signaling that Ethem was awake. "She's been around for how long, and she's not a morning person yet?"

"Sometimes being picky will haunt you like that. She'll probably tell the others she's not feeling too good and Ciprian will leave her alone." Konstantin paused for a moment, frowning. "How many of us do you think he knows about?"

"He knows me for sure, maybe you, possibly Sadiq...Lysander has him fooled completely. He doesn't really know Myron that well since he's usually asleep...Poor Myron has had it rough. His brother's taken well, though."

"That's the problem with twins sometimes, though. One is usually stronger than the other. But, I think Myron will perk up soon. You know Sadiq was the same way. I was actually there when he turned." This gained a look from Alin, mouth agape.

"Nu-uh. No you weren't. You're not that old!"

"I don't look old, but I am. He was sick for days, months. Elders thought he wasn't going to live, but then one day he sprung out of bed and went on a binge so large, he said all he could see was red. Some of the stronger ones usually do start out very weak. That's why he's head of the family, and why we have to tolerate all his shit." Konsta sighed, letting his arms above his head. "...I might just sleep for a while longer. You go take care of Ciprian like the loving brother you are."

"Alright, alright...but thank you, though." Alin hummed, leaning down to peck the other on the cheek sweetly, but was foiled by a hand to his face. "Mph...Fine, I'll go."

"You'd better." Kosta closed his eyes and sighed, listening to the other leave.

In the kitchen, Irma had gotten Ciprian his tea and something to eat for breakfast. She was in her usual wear, and she must have cut her hair short this morning. It was in a sloppy short ponytail, and the ends were uneven. Loose tunics gave the illusion that she was more masculine, but everyone knew that she wasn't. Ethem was also sitting in the kitchen, hunched over a cup of tea. She looked quite worn out, and it felt like if he even spoke a word she'd lash out at him.

It was best just to keep a quiet tone and talk softly at the table. Alin circled around and patted Ethem on the shoulders. She just looked up at him over her shoulder and sighed, showing the full extent of her exhaustion. "Too many late nights?"

"Too many." _I'm very low right now._ "I didn't think I'd be able to get out of bed for tea this morning." _Too low for comfort._

"It's alright, we all get like that sometime. I think Seti may be able to help, either that or Lysander." Alin nodded, rubbing Ethem's shoulders while he watched the still quiet kitchen. "I don't think Konsta is up for helping anyone. I asked him for some coffee this morning."

It was all lingo talk until Ciprian could understand for himself what was going on. "When can I start drinking coffee?" The question was a bit out of place, and it took Ethem by surprise, but to Alin, he just chuckled and patted Ethem. "What?"

"Coffee is for adults, Ciprian. You'll stunt your growth if you drink too much." He explained, going back to rubbing Ethem's shoulders with ease.

"Lucky...coffee smells good." He mumbled going back to his breakfast, relieving that last bit of tension in Ethem's shoulders when she finally registered that Ciprian wasn't on the same page as them.

"Relax, Ethem...You're going to put yourself in an early grave if you're not careful." Alin hummed. "Maybe we could get some raki after dinner, would that help?"

"I could use any kind of comfort right now, my head is pounding and the ground is on fire right now." She mumbled, rubbing her bare feet together. Loose clothing did her no good right now. She felt like she was burning up on the inside, she was so starved.

"Finish up your breakfast, then you and I are going to town, Ciprian." Irma finally got enough caffiene in her system to actually start talking, taking her hair out of her pony tail, ruffled it, then redid the hairdo.

"Do I have to?" There came the unanimous 'Yes, Ciprian', then a small explanation from Irma why he had to.

"You don't want me to buy the awful stuff, right? All the things you don't like. Onions, beef tongue, liver..." She rattled the names off, making the youngster's expression crumple. "See why I need you to come with me?"

"I guess so..." Ciprian mumbled, sliding the chair out from the table. "I'll get my boots on..."

"And your stockings."

" _And_ my stockings." He echoed, rolling his eyes. Alin smiled a bit at Irma, who had the remnants of a small grin until she looked at Alin. Ciprian was out of earshot, so then the honest conversation poured out.

"What's going on with you two. Both running low today?" Irma was only sixteen at the moment, but she knew everyone's secret. It was told to her when she had turned fourteen, but she just took it with a shrug and went back to what she was doing. It didn't bother her, but they still feared for Ciprian so that he wouldn't tell everyone.

"Very." Ethem whispered, rubbing her temples. "I may just go to Seti right now and ask him for a pick me up." She added, pushing her wavy dark hair out of her face. "If this is what death feels like, I'm not okay with this amount of stomach cramps and fatigue."

"You know, you can take first leave if you want. I don't mind having to wait a couple extra hours for a meal, and it would also help me so I wouldn't be so picky in the end." Alin continued to do his little massage thing, but it was only making Ethem a bit more sore.

Waving off his hands, Ethem sighed and rested her head on the table. "I'd be better off just borrowing some and heading out on my leave. You just took from Konsta, so you're in just as bad shape as I am." Turning herself to look at the other, she looked a bit bitter. "And what's with you borrowing from everyone as of late? Are you being picky just because you enjoy borrowing?"

"N-No, I-!"

"You greedy little shit!" Irma crooned, grinning widely at the two at the table. "Ethem, I owe you! You were right about Alin and Konsta!"

"What bout Alin and Konsta?" The dark haired man strode in with just pants on, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alin, why so red in the face?" He seemed good natured about the little conversation, just watching Alin crumble.

"I'm ready to go...I've got your dumb baskets, too." Ciprain mumbled, striding back to the kitchen to see the sight before him. "...Brother, are you getting sick? Your face is all red and-"

"Nonono, brother's fine, just...a little embarrassed about something. Irma, y-you and Kosta should get going before the big afternoon rush hits!" Alin waved the others off, smiles all around the kitchen from the sheer attitude from Alin. Even Ethem's lips were curled up into a smile at the other's anxiety. Ciprian looked a bit confused, but was ushered out by Irma, shaking her head and chuckling. As soon as they left and were out of earshot, Alin seethed and continued to turn red.

"So why were we talking about Kosta, hm?" Having a bit of coffee (though he shouldn't need it), Konstantin slowly found his way to the kitchen table, wondering if he'd get a bit of enlightenment from the others.

"We were saying something about how Alin shorts himself so that he can ask to borrow from you. It's a good strategy, but it makes him a little shit." Ethem said quietly, keeping that small bit of smile as Alin started pacing along the counter from the window to the pantry. It only made Kosta smile, nodding his head ever so slightly.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to do that since I'm scarring up quite a lot anymore. You should think about getting yourself full, otherwise you'll make yourself sick." Konstantin hummed, sipping his coffee, looking quite satisfied.

"I will, I will, just...I'll stop being picky from now on." He mumbled, running his hands through his hair before pulling up a chair and sitting. "Just don't say anything to Sadiq. I don't need him breathing down my neck about the situation either."

There was a light pause before Seti came along, making a bee-line for the coffee kettle near the hearth, taking a couple sips of the hot beverage. He had his own distinct look to him unlike the others. He was a bit more tan skinned like Sadiq, but lacked the facial hair. He had a couple gold earrings in one ear, and his eyes were expertly lined, just around the edges to intensify his stare. Short shaggy hair looked constantly messy, but still held that organized look to his personality. "Good morning." He didn't usually speak too much, unless it was with Sadiq, since he was the head of the household, and then Seti was next in line if something were to happen to Sadiq. "Before I forget, Lysander took care of Myron this morning, so Lysander needs to switch his outing with someone. I'd be willing to switch around, but I'm getting low as well."

"We must have all put off going out, haven't we?" Konstantin asked, nodding his head slowly, leaning up against the counter.

"The people know us all too well these days. They know our habits and why we come out of hiding now. I wouldn't be surprised if they started noticing Irma and Ciprian coming around and where they come from." Alin shrugged, twiddling his thumbs at the table. He was worried about if they would come home some days, if the people of the village would keep them from the 'monstrous vampires'.

"I hate to say this, but I think it is time for us to move. We're slowly withering here. Sadiq and I have talked about moving for quite some time now, and we're both agreeing that it would be better for all of us." Seti looked into his coffee cup, expression neutral. "That means we'll have to tell Irma to watch over Ciprian a bit longer before we get to moving. Everyone packs, and we should have horses by the time we're ready to leave."

"Where would we go, though? There's no place for us in the cities, and we can only go so far." Ethem was gaining more on her headache, rubbing small circles into her temples again. Nobody was interested in moving east, as it was too cold, and some were more warm-weather people. South had iffy relations, West...that was a gamble. Going North was a possibility.

"Sadiq said something about going to Prussia. The coven there is stable, and the people in the cities are oblivious. Though we're not on the best terms, they are willing to take us in." Seti recited as if he were reading from a script. The kitchen was quiet. Nobody could think of anything to say. "We can all agree that we are all not in the best health right now. I know it's harder for myself to rise early like I should, Ethem's migranes and lack of visions, and Myron..."

"I thought he was still growing?" Konsta asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"No, he is strong enough that he needs more blood. He takes after his biological mother. Don't you remember her before she was hunted?" Seti cocked his head to the side, blinking slowly. "She had to go out every week to make sure she didn't fall, and it took her many hours of sleep and at least two grown men to satisfy her at one time."

"That woman...she was a titan among all of us. I remember she took down a settlement of hunters with her gift of strength." Whispering lightly, Ethem stared down at the table, deep in memory. "Eyes red like glowing embers, she toppled stone houses and ripped trees out of the ground, hurling limbs and logs like toys."

"Myron is no different, and he's grown weak and dependent on his brother and the rest of us. We need to move to some place where we can thrive. This...this may be home to many of you, but if we stay, we'll die, and our coven will cease to exist. We've dwindled down this far, and we're close to the brink as it is." The olive-skinned man let out a wistful sigh. "I'll miss the warmth of the desert, but it's worth giving up for life."

The kitchen was quiet, and slowly, Alin broke away, heading back to his room to sleep, followed by Konstantin heading to the living room to work on his small crafts. Ethem also followed suit, laying on one of the comfortable mats and pillow heaps to reserve her strength. It was another quiet morning without Irma and Ciprian. Quiet, still, and depressingly empty.

* * *

In town was a different place. People greeted Irma and Ciprian, sometimes giving a bit of candy or some little treat that would make him smile. They'd often go back home after a full day in town, talking and getting things for the house to eat. Even though it was just Irma and Ciprian eating, it was still something important that only Irma could really attend to.

The shop people often snuck candy home with Ciprian after talking about his big brother and how he was sick and couldn't come outside. He ended up eating it on the way home, but otherwise, it was a good plot. It was when they were walking home with two baskets full of goods that it was dim enough for Sadiq to ride out and pick them up. Two mules came trotting along the dirt road. "Do you need a ride?" He asked, pulling down his scarf to flash a wide smile. "You two were taking too long, so I thought I'd come out and check on you."

"Well, thanks Old Man. You could have came along a bit sooner, you know." Irma joked, already getting ready to sling her basket on the back of the mule. Ciprian had trouble getting his situated, but Irma quickly made up for that as she picked it up with ease.

"Help Little One up, would you?"

"What, can't let your polished shoes touch the ground, or what?" She joked a bit more before picking up Ciprian and helping him up with Sadiq, whom gave her a bit of a stern look.

"Let's just say the ground is too hot for me and I've still got those holes in the bottom of my shoes." _I really shouldn't be out here this close to town._ Giving a bit of a nod after his words, he gave Irma a hand getting up on the mule and turned the little caravan around. "I wouldn't think that you two would be out so late. Would have been nicer if you had come home around sun down, though. That way you wouldn't worry me so much."

Ciprian was starting to get tired, and the warm sun burn on his face didn't help much at all. Leaning back against Sadiq, the youngster ended up dozing off. "So, are things alright at the house?

"Not exactly...Everyone wants to go out earlier than planned. I can't help it, either, but it's...It's hard not to just all of us leave all at once." The man sighed wistfully, shaking his head oh so slightly. "You may want to just head to Alin's room to escape with Ciprian for a while. If you linger for too long, I'm sure Ethem would try and go after you."

"What's keeping you so sane, then?" Irma looked up and caught a glimpse of shining red eyes, almost grimacing at the sheer sight.

"Just my own morals...Plus the idea that Seti would kill me if something happened to either of you."

* * *

Piggybacking Ciprian into Alin's room wasn't so easy. With him being so easy to prey on and so young, it was difficult to keep him busy. He'd get bored and restless, and then he'd get agitated soon after that.

Farther away from the door, Irma could hear the growls and harsh whispers that were outside the door. Even Seti was starting to get agitated with time moving so slowly for them. If she could help, Irma knew she would. But, just one bite could leave her with nothing left over, dooming her to be eternally young. Young vampires weren't a good idea, Sadiq had said. Not only did they have little to no impulse control, but their young bodies needed more blood than that of even a strong vampire as himself. Their bloodlust never ended, and their nights never ended.

"When can I leave my room? I'm not even tired after the nap on the ride home, and I'm starting to get hungry..."

"I brought dried fruit and bread, what more do you want?" Irma grumbled, looking at the other from over her reading. She had picked up some old dusty bound book at the market, finding the story inside was quite interesting.

"...I'd like chocolate, really. I'd think that would taste good." Ciprian chirped, rolling over on the mattress with his head propped up on his hands. "Chocolate is always good, especially on birthdays."

"Well, I couldn't get any this time. I didn't even see any, and you spent all your money on other sweets for Alin. You know what he says, you know."

"I know, I know... 'You have one for me, my stomach is upset.'. Everyone in this house is so strange." Maybe it was Ciprian catching on to their little secrets, or maybe it was time to tell him. "Everyone either drinks tea or says they're already full or their bellies hurt."

"Ciprian..." Irma was about to reveal the truth when Alin came barging in, all wide with smiles. There was the fresh smell of mint on his breath. He had just been out and cleaned up. The younger brother jumped up and grinned, flinging his arms out in return, jumping up in the other's arms.

"Ciprian~!" He crooned, kissing Ciprian's forehead as he held the other tight. "Did you miss me at all?"

"I missed your big dumb face only 'cause I was so bored! Why do _I_ have to sit with Irma all night and you get to go out with everyone? It's not fair!" He whined, leaning back to look at Alin's face. Maybe he was still a bit more fooled than Alin had originally thought.

"What do I tell you? Us adults go out because we need some alone time, too. Don't you think we get all cooped up here all day?" Alin shifted Ciprian's weight around so that he could get a good look at Irma, who was now standing with her novel in hand. "Thank you for watching him for me. You're a true life saver."

"Not a problem. Maybe when he's old enough, I'll be hanging around with you all sooner or later..." She said, brushing past him absently. Without a thought, Alin reached around her and turned her to face him, his expression serious. "What?"

"Don't you ever think about it. You're fine the way you are. You don't need this." He said lowly, eyes glinting red in the dim light. "This isn't fun and games, Irma. Now go get some sleep. We're going to be packing up tomorrow. Sadiq secured us horses and Myron's awake enough so we can move on." Alin's grip released, allowing Irma to take a step or two away from him.

"Alright, alright...that means I'll be helping with Ciprian again?"

"If you would...just keep him out of trouble. We should be able to head out by sun-down tomorrow." He nodded, heading for the living area with a tired sigh. "Sorry about that, Ciprian...Irma just wants to grow up too fast."

"What's wrong with growing up? You guys are all grown up, so what's the matter?" A bit befuddled by the whole conversation at hand, he wondered what so awful about it.

"Sometimes growing up isn't the best thing for someone." Setting both of them down on the pile of mismatched pillows in the living area, he shifted the two of them so that they were comfortable. "It's cooler out here tonight, so I thought we'd get some sleep out here..."

Alin remembered when he had brought Ciprian into this safe haven. Alin was sick and someone had told him that there was a man taking people in. He didn't realize that this was the method of curing his illness. With Ciprian being just a baby and Alin himself was still young, it was rough.

He remembered Seti taking care of him, smoothing his hair back and placing his hand on his forehead. Occasionally, there were bouts of foul medicine, almost enough to make Alin heave his stomach onto the floor. The days were chilling and the nights were full of searing heat, causing him to kick off all his blankets. Sadiq was amazed how he had carried himself and a tiny baby all the way to their hideaway. 'He would have died if he spent another day out there... He's strong for such a scrawny little kid.' Sadiq had said with a wide and friendly grin.

In the meantime as Seti treated Alin, Ciprian was usually being held by Konstantin, who had a little knack of keeping him quiet and taking care of him. Not long after Alin, Irma came along, half wild and dehydrated. Ethem usually stayed in the shadows, not sure of all the newcomers to their little coven. Lysander was the same, watching from afar as Myron lazed about. They were just getting used to coming out of their feral stage, wide eyed and shaky. Just getting used to their 'new selves', they looked as if they had watched a whole hundred years worth of war in one night.

As time wore on and Alin didn't get better, they moved a couple of times, finding new populations that didn't know of their true intentions. Blood. That desire for blood was passed down to Alin when all the healing Seti provided wasn't working anymore. Ciprian was only starting to walk, and two years worth of healing had dealt enough damage on both of them. So, on the winter solstice, Alin stopped aging. He stopped aging on his twenty first year, forever youthful, regaining his young elegence and beauty.

Ethem had taken Irma and Ciprian out for the evening in addition to Lysander and Myron, so they didn't hear the screaming and blood-curdling screeches as Alin turned.

If there was one thing that Alin remembered most, it was the pain. It was like pouring hot iron into his veins, his heart beating to try and fight it, to try and push it all away. Every part of his being hurt. Every little nerve receptor was screaming in pure agony. When the pain numbed to one unanimous scream, he felt the heat pool in his stomach, almost like the same fire as before. Hunger. Blood. Food. He hadn't eaten for days. Pain turned to anger, anger turned to rage, and the first person he lunged at was Sadiq. He had been the one to turn him after all, and to Alin, he was full as a big, fat tick.

Eventually, as the hunger died and Alin calmed, Ethem came home with two sleepy children and a glimpse at a blood spattered floor. Nobody knew that Alin could hide in shadows so easily, so when he vanished into thin air, he was gone. Lunging back out of the dim lit spaces, he attacked, causing a great fight between the four that were in the room.

Ethem should have seen it with her future sight, and Sadiq should have been able to keep him still with his strength. Konstantin couldn't focus long enough to paralyze the other, making all their abilities useless, save for Seti's healing, which proved to be good for everyone in the end.

"...Brother?"

Snapping back from the memories of the past, Alin looked down at Ciprian, who was half asleep. "Yes?"

"You started staring and it freaked me out a little bit...are you okay?" The staring bit was a bit unnerving, as he didn't quite blink when he did it.

"Oh, I'm fine...I just had a moment. Sometimes your brother thinks a little bit too hard all at once." Alin nodded, brushing his brother's hair out of his face. "Just get some sleep...Tomorrow we're going to get ready to move, so that'll be nice, right? There'll be more people, more food...and more children your age to play with. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Yeah, but I just wanna be around you and everyone else. It don't matter as long as we're together." Ciprian yawned, getting comfortable again.

"Right...that's what matters." Alin echoed, rubbing Ciprian's back idly as he to allowed himself to sleep.


End file.
